Xabi Alonso intent on recovering the best version of Real Madrid heavyweight | OneFootball

According to a recent report from AS, Xabi Alonso has made it a clear priority to recover the very best version of Federico Valverde as quickly as possible. 

The Real Madrid coach believes the Uruguayan midfielder needs to rediscover one specific part of his game that has been missing this season, which is his shooting instinct.

It is said that Alonso wants Valverde to be far more aggressive in front of goal, encouraging him to take more shots and contribute goals from midfield, just as he did during the Club World Cup. 

In that competition, Valverde showed once again how decisive he can be when he plays with freedom, arriving from deep positions and striking the ball with confidence.

Valverde’s role a debate

Valverde’s role has been a topic of debate at Real Madrid for several years now. Naturally a midfielder, his versatility has often worked against him. 

Due to injuries to key defenders, he has regularly been asked to fill in at right-back, a role he performs with commitment and discipline. 

However, that defensive responsibility has limited his attacking presence and dulled the instincts that once made him such a threat from distance.

Valverde’s offensive contributions have dropped. (Photo by Ion Alcoba Beitia/Getty Images)

That tactical sacrifice has been felt more strongly in recent months. Valverde is currently going through an unusual slump, especially when his shooting numbers from previous seasons are taken into account. 

In the 2022/23 season, when he scored 12 goals, Valverde averaged a shot every 42 minutes, a shot on target every 119 minutes, and found the net every 367 minutes. 

Last season, while not quite at the same level, he was still close, taking a shot every 59 minutes, hitting the target every 173 minutes, and scoring every 559 minutes.

This season tells a very different story. Valverde has not scored a single goal in 1,833 minutes of football. 

His shooting frequency has dropped to one attempt every 65 minutes, while shots on target now come only every 262 minutes. 

Alonso is convinced this dip is not about ability, but about positioning and mindset. 

By restoring Valverde to a more natural midfield role and encouraging him to take responsibility in the final third, the coach hopes to reignite one of Real Madrid’s most important engines.